After a whirlwind 11 months that exposed them to new places and new faces, pop-rockers Kaleido close out 2012 with an EP release party at the Magic Stick in Ferndale on Friday, Nov. 30.

The seven-song self-titled collection represents a huge accomplishment for Kaleido, which has had a busy schedule for the past year, despite not having a record out for club owners to check out and fans to purchase.

"It's pretty spectacular to think we've done all of our shows and haven't had a product out yet," said lead singer Christina Chriss of Sterling Heights.

"At the end of the day, it's the songs that are the most important part of this. It's not the stage show or the clothes or anything like that. So for me, this EP is like our missing link. I feel like everything is in place now."

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Kaleido formed in late 2011 when Chriss departed from her own cover band and joined forces with Joey Fava, who plays drums and guitar. They later added Cody Morales on bass, and guitarists Ronnie Rosolino and Jamie Burnham to round out Kaleido.

Over the past year, Kaleido has played numerous local shows but also embarked on its first tour, including two stops on the Van's Warped Tour, played the CMJ music fest and opened for Evan Blue at the Blind Pig and Evanescence at DTE Energy Music Theatre.

Chriss was invited to perform the National Anthem for Detroit Tigers and Detroit Pistons games in recent months. Fava and Chriss also team up for weekly acoustic duo shows at Freddy's Bar and Dooleys Irish Tavern.

In their spare time, they've rubbed shoulders with some of Detroit's musical heavyweights, including Kid Rock, who invited the band to his house for a night, and his protegé, Ty Stone.

Chriss said the EP captures the tight musicianship of the band, which fuels their energy.

"These guys really are a powerhouse," she said. "They are the best musicians I could find and they really support my vocals. To have this happening to me now is exciting. People are finally getting to hear our stuff and now they can have it on a CD."

The EP begins with "Open Your Eyes," a rocking call to individualism that chugs along with Green Daylike maniacal energy: "Life's a tricky game that we all get to play/ Never know what you're gonna get/ Or how long that you'll get to stay."

The acoustic "Goodbye," which was written with Stone, is a tribute to the late Freddy Craprotta, owner of Freddy's Bar in Clinton Township, who died unexpectedly in September. His death was a huge blow to Kaleido, as he had been a longtime supporter of the band.

"Ty really helped me work through that one," Chriss said. "It was such a personal thing, I wanted to express my feelings about Freddy and his writing style just meshed with mine. I'm very proud of that song."

Joey Fava agreed.

"That song really came to us in a flash," he said. "We just sat down and started writing and finished in probably in less an hour. It's meaningful to us and turned out really well."

The EP now complete, Kaleido has signed on for Ball at the Hall at St. Andrew's Hall on New Year's Eve and will play Motor City Casino on Jan. 4.

"We're always exhausted," Fava said. "But we're young and we want to do everything we can while we can even though it can be grueling."

Looking at several boxes of her new EP, Chriss said finishing the project has boosted her confidence. For 2013, Kaleido fans can expect more of the same.

"When we were playing in New York in July, I thought that was the peak, and when it was over I asked myself, 'What's next?' and you know what? In August we opened for Evanescence, and then Offspring at the Fillmore," she said. "Then September came and we did Comerica Park at the Tigers game, and I thought that was so cool. Now we have this show coming up, which may be the pinnacle.

"It's like things just keep getting better and better. For us, 2013 is going to be out of this world."